In 2007, Scenic Circle’s Earl Hagaman couldn’t say a bad word about the Labour Government

The chairman of New Zealand’s largest independently owned and operated hotel group says the hospitality industry has a significant opportunity, and a responsibility, to make a commitment to the Buy Kiwi Made campaign.

Scenic Circle Hotels’ Earl Hagaman says with over 2.4 million visitors to our shores each year, and Kiwis making 15 million overnight trips domestically*, the hospitality industry at all levels should be seeking to expose visitors to more New Zealand made products. “We’ve got every reason to pick up the flag and run with it, so to speak.

Guests come here for a New Zealand experience, and that’s not limited to seeing the sights and observing the culture. Hotels, for example, can enhance guests’ experiences by providing quality New Zealand made beds and bedding for guests to sleep in, natural New Zealand made bathroom supplies to use during their stay, quality New Zealand wool carpets to walk on, and a wide selection of New Zealand food and beverages that showcases what is produced here.

“We aren’t really interested in hosting international guests and showing them what they already may see, use, eat or drink in their home country. Even for Kiwis travelling domestically, hotel restaurants have an opportunity to focus on regional produce and wines, and we can promote other products that guests can buy themselves at home.” Read more »

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.

Mr Key said Mr Little knew the numbers of New Zealanders considered possible risks as extremists had increased from 30-40 last year to 60-70 now. There was also a greater risk to travelling New Zealanders.

“But he says he’d do nothing. I don’t believe him. If it’s really true then you’d have to question whether he’d make the right decisions for New Zealand.”

He believed Mr Little’s objections were simply politicking and if it was in Government, it would have deployed the troops as the former Labour Government had sent engineers to Iraq and the SAS in a combat role to Afghanistan.

If you agree with me that’s nice, but what I really want to achieve is to make you question the status quo, look between the lines and do your own research. Do not be a passive observer in this game we call life.

If you agree with me that’s nice, but what I really want to achieve is to make you question the status quo, look between the lines and do your own research. Do not be a passive observer in this game we call life.

Drivers who try to outrun police should have their vehicle impounded and licence suspended on a first offence, Labour leader Phil Goff says.

So far this year 15 people have died on the roads during police pursuits. Police engage in 2500 pursuits every year and one in four of those ends up in a crash, Mr Goff said.

Mr Goff said a Labour government would tighten the laws on failure to stop. Current proposals involve tougher penalties for repeat offenders.

”But I believe that we need to act more strongly on the very first offence,” he said. ” I say the blame rests fairly and squarely with the drivers who are trying to outrun the police.”

The good news is we won;t need to wait 6 years for a Labour government to implement this, I think it is safe to say that Police Minister Judith Collins will implement this for Phil Goff, she may even go as far as to call it Goff’s Law.

He outlined three options to the Police Association in Wellington this morning.

– toughening up existing provisions in the law such as mandatory licence suspension and impoundment of a vehicle on a first offence

– failure to stop to become a qualifying offence under sections 128 and 129 of the Sentencing act 2002 – which means the offender’s vehicle would be a risk of confiscation

– a new law that introduces new offences with serious terms of imprisonment as a penalty, similar to one about to be passed in New South Wales

”You can’t afford to wait for two or three offences or for someone to die before you get serious. Drivers who fail to stop…don’t deserve a second chance.”

He told the senior officers they were ”damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” when it came to chases.

Glas to see that Phil Goff has realised that some criminals are beyond redemption, even at first offence. Well done Phil Goff, finally some policy initiatives that are reality based.

The onus is now on Judith Collins to push for these to be adopted quickly. No doubt Justice Minister Simon power will oppose them, but he has problems in other areas so can be safely ignored.

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.

Arai Hema was classified as low risk despite serving an 11-year sentence for the rape of a 16-year-old Napier girl and the attempted murder of 76-year-old Bruce Butler, who attempted to intervene.

This classification allowed him out on a work detail and he then escaped.

The Minister should once again call Barry Matthews in to explain why she should retain confidence in his ability to run Corrections in a manner that the Government and the Public who pay his salary expect.

So while Phil Goff is upset about the cancellation of a silly seminar and wants law changes to enforce the Higher Salaries Commission to listen to politicians, something his Government had none years to do, another dangerous prisoner is on the run.

Labour really needs to get its priorities right instead of maintaining its attitude of entitlement.

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.

I’d like to thank…….the Labour Party for giving out free hits willingly, Winston Raymond Peters, 63, unemployed of no fixed abode for being a lying ass, all the lickspittles, lap-bloggers, broken arses and numpties who drew themselves to my attention….you don’t really think I care what you say about me do you?….Andrew Williams, the Cock of Campbells Bay who threatened to sue me……just wait Andrew plenty more vitriol where that came from……Pearl Going the maker of plastic handbags that seemingly are invisible….I haven’t finished with you pearl dear you fake little broken arsed putz….Judith Tizard for being such a terrible MP, hope you enjoyed the video….Helen Clark for staying ugly……Michael Cullen for being a sanctimonious cock…..a special mention to my sponsors of the Blogmobile tour, you know who you are and you should be pleased, quietly with the results, many thanks for your support….

And last of all I’d like to thank me, of course I’m going to thank me, I did all the bloody work, well apart from some helpful contributions from…….yeah right I’m going to tell you who sent me in stuff.

Thank you, and remember this;

If you want to wrestle with pigs know two things are true. You’re going to get dirty and the pig loves it.

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.

John Key: Politician of the year – To borrow the immortal words of Australian politician Bill Hayden, some might argue National could have put up the proverbial drover’s dog as leader and still won last month’s election such was its huge lead in the polls over preceding… [NZ Herald Politics]

John Armstrong makes the case for John Key to be politician of the year. It is hard to argue otherwise, though I am sure the paupers at the lap-blog will give it a go.

I think the most telling part of John Armstrongs column is one that few bloggers and commentators have yet picked up and that is the huge sea change in New Zealand politics. Certainly the Labour Party is yet to pick up that sea change after picking yet another old timer to be their temporary leader.

What also matters is that Key speaks for a new generation which entered Parliament in force at last month’s election – a generation which is less hidebound by ideology or consumed with refighting the battles of the 1980s or the 1990s.

This is a generational shift in politics. The baby-boomers are on their way out. Winston Peters has gone. Clark and Michael Cullen are poised to check out.

The new generation has never experienced a wage-price freeze, fixed exchange rates, Think Big or farmers being subsidised according to the number of sheep they had on their farms.

The new generation has only a hazy memory of the Labour Government which swept all that away in a revolution of reform before imploding. Seeing him in Parliament, those younger MPs must view Sir Roger Douglas as a relic from another age.

Key’s advantage is that his age and political freshness places him at the vanguard of the new generation – something that cannot be said for the new Labour leadership.

Labour painted JohnKey a a bumblng fool and fell into the trap of believing thei own spin. It was ultimately fatal and the bumbling fool was Helen Clark who bmbled once too many and fell on her sword. One area where John Key absolutely ran rings around Clark was Winston Raymond Peters, 63, unemployed of no fixed abode, here John Key absolutely painted Clark into a corner and even better used her own paint and her own brush, he then threw down the brush and as the ad says “He walked away”.

And what about Winston Raymond Peters, 63, unemployed of no fixed abode?

What we can be sure about is that Peters, having used the media to boost his career early on, grew to despise it. His version always had to be the correct one. That he could never concede to being wrong was what destroyed him – not the bunkum that he was the target of some kind of big business-establishment-media collusion.

NZ First, a party built solely around a personality cult, will not be back.

Peters will be missed. The charming, generous, understanding Peters, that is. Not the cantankerous, argumentative, frustrating and difficult creature with whom other parties were forced to do business, smiling benignly as they did so but at the same time looking about as comfortable as someone lying on a bed of sharpened nails.

WRP, 63, UONFA is one of the few people I genuinely loathe. The man is liar fair and square, a disingenuous prick and a sot who should not be remembered fondly, rather he should be kicked into the gutter and forgotten. He never did get round to suing me for calling him a liar. Fucking loser.

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.

The self rated best sysop in the world gets all foamy about me and DPF. He really needs to take a chill pill. Despite their defaming me repeatedly in the comments I have been banned from responding because Lynn (that surely is a girls name) thinks I am technically illiterate and because I am a creep. So the rules for them are to throw shit, then ban any response. Good oh! Assholes.

Barnsley Bill has a video link to a Youtube vid of a guy getting dirty with heaps of plump birds.

Where in the World is Winston Raymond Peters, 63, Unemplyed of no fixed abode. Not one single post since November 11 from Frank….ooops…Winston or anyone else. Knock, knock anyone there?

After fighting the election with no new policy and having three websites to prove it you would have thought Labour would have at least kept the 2005 policy up on the web, but no, they now officially have no policy at all, and we are still paying for their website too. You would think with the lack of blogging a_y_b would have had time to update the site since he managed to keep his job, albeit in a different office now that has a view that isn’t quite so appealing.

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.